IVF

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Availability

IVF is only offered on the NHS if certain criteria are met. If you don't meet these criteria, you may need to pay for private treatment.

NICE recommendations

In 2013 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published new fertility guidelines that made recommendations about who should have access to IVF treatment on the NHS in England and Wales.

But individual NHS clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) make the final decision about who can have NHS-funded IVF in their local area, and their criteria may be stricter than those recommended by NICE.

Women under 40

According to NICE, women aged under 40 should be offered 3 cycles of IVF treatment on the NHS if:

they've been trying to get pregnant through regular unprotected sex for 2 years

If you turn 40 during treatment, the current cycle will be completed, but further cycles shouldn't be offered.

If tests show IVF is the only treatment likely to help you get pregnant, you should be referred straight away.

Women aged 40 to 42

The NICE guidelines also say women aged 40 to 42 should be offered 1 cycle of IVF on the NHS if all of the following criteria are met:

they've been trying to get pregnant through regular unprotected sex for 2 years, or haven't been able to get pregnant after 12 cycles of artificial insemination

they've never had IVF treatment before

they show no evidence of low ovarian reserve (where eggs in your ovaries are low in number or quality)

they've been informed of the additional implications of IVF and pregnancy at this age

Again, if tests show IVF is the only treatment likely to help you get pregnant, you should be referred straight away.

IVF on the NHS

NHS trusts across England and Wales are working to provide the same levels of service. But the provision of IVF treatment varies across the country, and often depends on local CCG policies.

CCGs may have additional criteria you need to meet before you can have IVF on the NHS, such as:

not having any children already, from both your current and any previous relationships

being a healthy weight

not smoking

falling into a certain age range (for example, some CCGs only fund treatment for women under 35)

In some cases, only 1 cycle of IVF may be routinely offered, instead of the 3 recommended by NICE.

Ask your GP or contact your local CCG to find out what the criteria for NHS-funded IVF treatment are in your area.

Private treatment

If you're not eligible for NHS treatment or you decide to pay for IVF, you can have treatment at a private clinic.

Some clinics can be contacted directly without seeing your GP first, but others may ask for a referral from your GP.

The cost of private treatment can vary, but 1 cycle of IVF can cost up to £5,000 or more. There may be additional costs for medicines, consultations and tests.

Make sure you find out exactly what's included in the price during your discussions with the clinic.

Some people consider having IVF abroad, but there are a number of issues you need to think about, including your safety and the standard of care you'll receive. Clinics in other countries may not be as regulated as they are in the UK.